America News Desk!! A world organization with its own charter and paralyzed structure, charged with fomenting war, faces an existential challenge from Russia’s ongoing offensive on Ukraine. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: When Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, sent its troops to a small neighboring country on February 24, 2022, defying the UN Charter and all norms of international relations, it was my It was the saddest moment for me. Beyond the suffering from the betrayal and the pain inflicted on countries around the world, especially the poorest, the war goes back to the foundation of the United Nations created some 78 years ago.
“I fear the world is not sleepwalking into a massive war,” Guterres warned this month, “I fear it is doing so with its eyes wide open.” The Charter cripples the United Nations by providing veto powers for the permanent members in the Security Council, who can act alone. Russia’s veto has mired the Council in a quagmire of inaction prompting renewed calls for its reform. Describing the situation, the President of the General Assembly, Sabah Korosi, said: The Security Council, the main guarantor of international peace and security, remains entrenched and is completely unable to fulfill its mandate. An increasing number are now demanding its reform, he said. In September 2021, a third of world leaders underlined the urgent need for Security Council reform, when that number more than doubled.
The reform process – in which India has a special interest as an aspirant for a permanent seat – which has itself been stalled for nearly two decades, is unlikely to improve soon. But the General Assembly, which does not have the enforcement powers of the Council, has used the disturbance to set an example by forcing the permanent members to exercise their veto when they confront it and explain their actions. We do. Facing a barrage of criticism, Russia appeared before the General Assembly to respond to its veto.
The General Assembly reinstated the rarely used action under the 1950 Uniting for Peace resolution of convening an emergency special session if it had failed in its primary duty to maintain peace and security. It passed a resolution in March demanding that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders. It received 141 votes – more than two-thirds of the required 193 votes – while India was among 35 countries that abstained. A proposal has also been re-circulated in 2015 by Mexico and France to avoid using their veto on issues involving the permanent members, but to no avail.
India, which was a member of the council last year, was caught in the middle of polarization at the United Nations, both in the council and the General Assembly, because of its dependence on Russian arms and the crucial timely support it received in security. India has abstained at least 11 times on substantive resolutions related to Ukraine in both chambers of the UN, including Council resolutions sponsored by Moscow. India has faced tremendous pressure from the West to join the voting on resolutions against Russia and to openly take a stand condemning Moscow. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar told the Security Council in September 2022: As the Ukraine conflict continues, we are often asked whose side we are on, and our answers are straight and honest every time.
Showing a semblance of neutrality while voting, India came close to standing in support of Ukraine and projected against Russia, saying, “We are on the side that respects the UN Charter and its founding principles.” Now outside the council, New Delhi’s profile has been lowered and it does not have to publicly display its tightrope walk, although it may have to do so again this week on the anniversary of the attack, when the General Assembly There is a possibility of getting an offer. The pain of the invasion has been felt far beyond Ukraine’s borders. Guterres said: The Russian invasion of Ukraine is having a profound global impact on the Ukrainian people.
The outcome of the war has set back the United Nations’ universal development goals. Soon, many countries were on the brink of famine and the specter of starvation due to lack of agricultural inputs still loomed large over the world, while many countries, including many developed ones, faced severe energy and financial problems. The war shut down exports of foodgrains from Ukraine and limited exports from Russia, two countries that have become the world’s food basket. In addition to depriving many countries of foodgrains, the shortage pushed up global prices. A victory for the United Nations has been the Black Sea agreement reached in July with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to allow safe passage for ships carrying foodgrains from Ukrainian ports. Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that so far more than 21.3 million tonnes of grain and food products have been moved during the initiative in about 1,500 voyages by the ships, helping to lower global food prices and stabilize markets. Got it.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, a United Nations organization, also exerted influence during the war. She is working to protect nuclear facilities in Ukraine, which were occupied by the Russian army. It said it has managed to deploy teams of safety experts to help reduce the risk of a serious nuclear accident during the country’s ongoing conflict at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and Chernobyl, site of the 1986 disaster.
–IANS
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